Some are connecting dots of the new Senate health care bill and worrying that it will be used to further curb gun ownership.
Reportedly, the bill gives the HHS power to identify and diminish or ban dangerous activities for the sake of our health. Kathleen Sibelius, current HHS head, is known to be anti-gun as she vetoed concealed carry legislation while governor of Kansas.
So, how dangerous are privately owned guns?
In 2006 in the U.S., there were 121,599 unintentional deaths. In order by descending frequency:
- 33,252 car or truck
- 27,531 poison
- 20,823 fall (not the season)
- 6,345 unspecified
- 6,162 pedestrian
- 5,912 suffocation
- 4,703 motorcycle
- 3,579 drowning
- 3,109 fire
- 2,556 other
- 1,588 environment
- 1,454 other land transport (trains and buses I presume)
- 1,188 other transport (aircraft and boats I presume)
- 926 pedal cycle
- 855 struck
- 740 machinery
- 642 firearm
- 128 cut or piercing
- 93 hot object
- 13 exertion
Firearms are cause #17 of 20.Firearms account for half a percent of unintended deaths. Compared to firearms more people died from each of machining, being struck (by what, I don’t know but apparently not a bullet), bicycling, flying, floating, commuting, cavorting with nature, burning (or more likely inhaling smoke), swimming (or not), motorcycling, suffocating, walking, failing to walk, eating and drinking, driving, and other unlisted or unknown causes! Causes 1-16 provided 188 times more unintentional deaths than did firearms.
Let’s face it, if health care is used as an excuse for more gun control, it is only an excuse. And restricting gun ownership will not reduce unintentional deaths by firearm as much as it restricts gun ownership because those who want guns will still find them.
Source: National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 57, No. 14, April 17, 2009 Table 18, pp.88-89
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_14.pdf
Update: Why the focus on unintentional deaths? Bad guys intending death by firearm will find and keep guns regardless of laws to the contrary.
